Liposuction Procedures

Dr. Heck offers every type of liposuction procedures such as power-assisted, Smartlipo™, or VASER® Liposelection. Please don’t be fooled by those who only offer one type of liposuction because they are typically novices that have only been trained in one method. Dr. Heck learned his technique in Los Angeles during his aesthetic fellowship and has refined his skills over the past 10 years. Dr. Heck is a liposuction surgeon headquartered in Columbus and Upper Arlington Ohio. For those women and men who are of normal weight but have stubborn, unwanted fat deposits that do not respond to diet and exercise, liposuction may be your answer. We can enhance your appearance and improve your self confidence by restoring your body contour with very little scarring and almost no downtime.

During your consultation, you will have the opportunity to discuss your expectations and goals with Dr. Heck. He will show you many preoperative and postoperative photographs, discuss your areas of interest, and he will assess and pick out the technique which will work best for your body type. Keep in mind that liposuction can also be used in conjunction with a mini or full abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) to aid in abdominal contouring.

Laser Liposuction can remove unwanted fat from several areas including the face, neck, back, arms, abdomen, flanks, love handles, hips, buttocks, thighs, and legs.

Liposuction surgery is not substitute for weight loss, and you still must practice a healthy lifestyle to maintain your results. Our ultimate goal is to restore your body to a more shapely appearance while improving the fit of your clothes and improving your body image.

Types of Liposuction

Tumescent Liposuction

Dr. Heck uses tumescent liposuction in conjunction with power-assisted, Smartlipo™, and VASER® Liposelection. This technique involves injecting a sterile saline solution with local anesthetic into the areas to be sculpted to facilitate with fat removal. It helps to decrease blood loss, minimize discomfort, and reduce bruising during the procedure.

Smartlipo™

The procedure involves using a laser to gently heat and melt the fat. The fat is then removed or sucked out allowing for uniform sculpting, decreased bruising, and less trauma to the surrounding tissue. It is a cutting-edge, safe, and effective way to sculpt the body, and Dr. Heck likes to use it with liposuction of the abdomen, flanks and love handles due to the skin tightening capabilities.

VASER Liposelection®

The procedure uses ultrasound energy vibration to emulsify and break up the fat prior to removing or sucking it out. This type of liposuction is reported to cause less discomfort, decreased tissue damage, and minimal bruising. Dr. Heck likes to use this type of liposuction in the more delicate areas such as the chin, neck, and arms because it allows for more even contouring.

Liposuction Surgery Results and Recovery

The liposuction surgery is typically performed in our office under local anesthesia or it can be performed in an outpatient surgery center under general anesthesia. Recovery takes 1 to 2 days and you will be asked to wear a supportive garment for 2 to 4 weeks. The areas of liposuction may be tender and sore for several days, and you will be given a script for pain medication to ease your discomfort. The incisions are tiny and the sutures are dissolvable. If bruising occurs after with the procedure, it typically begins to diminish within 5 to 7 days. The swelling resolves gradually, and you will begin to see the results within 3 weeks. Please keep in mind that the swelling may persist for a few months after surgery until your final results emerge.

Follow-up on Liposuction

After having a cosmetic plastic surgery with Dr. Heck, all your follow-up visits will be complimentary for an entire year. To ensure optimal results, always continue to follow your post-operative instructions and follow-up with Dr. Heck as instructed. If any questions or concerns should arise, please notify Dr. Heck or his staff so that they can be addressed in a timely manner.